Another Chance at Love
by Fujisaki Nadeshiko
Summary: AU. 22 year old single mother Amu has had many problems in her life, one of them leading her to give birth at 17. She meets someone she can grow to love but will she allow herself to or will her past prevent so? "Mommy, do you love Sensei?" "W-what?"
1. Chapter 1: Beginning

**Hello, Authoress here! This is my first Shugo Chara story so please bear with me! If there are any mistakes that I've overlooked, please point them out, and now without another moment to lose onto to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara © Peach-Pit**

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><p>"Hiroki, hurry up, you'll be late for school!" "Coming mommy!"<p>

A 22 year old Amu closed her eyes and sighed though a smile graced her face. She focused her attention towards a pan in front of her, flipping pancakes, listening to the quick patter of small feet as they flew down the stairs.

The pinkette flipped the pancakes onto a plate, before setting them on a rather small, wooden table where a little boy struggled to get onto the chair. Chuckling softly, Amu helped the little boy up where he smacked his lips before digging into the delicious breakfast laid in front of him.

Amu took her seat across from Hiroki, watching her son eat, waiting to help him as she sipped a cup of coffee. She watched him, golden irises flickering, indulging in his looks; thulian pink hair and golden eyes like hers, though his hairstyle... resembled _his_.

Actually, Hiroki looked just like _him_, if not for the hair color and eyes which Amu was thankful for; all the same, Amu's heart occasionally ached whenever she looked at Hiroki and the similarities the 5 year old shared with _him._

"Mommy?"

An innocent voice cut through Amu's musings. Amu snapped her attention back towards her son who's face and upper part of his shirt was now covered in syrup and pancake bits.

Smiling, Amu shook her head to clear all thoughts she had and focused on cleaning up her son. Within 10 minutes, the 2 were ready for the day and climbed into Amu's old brown Sedan.

"Buckled up?" Amu asked, turning around to see her son nod vigorously.

"Mhm!" "Then let's go." Amu inserted the key, the car's engine purring with life for a moment before dying out. She groaned, "Not today, not today, please!"

The pinkette checked her watch, cursing under her breath, "Crap, we're gonna be late!" she muttered. Filled with determination, Amu turned the key several times before finally the car's engine roared with life and stayed that way.

With a satisfied grunt, Amu drove out of the drive-way of her small but modest home, and drove towards Hiroki's school. She passed a few houses when she saw a moving truck in the drive way of an abandoned but large and stately mansion; one of the very few in the town, this one the only one without any residents ever since the previous owner, an old woman who Amu and Hiroki knew and were quite fond of, died a few years ago and left no heir to inherit the place.

As big and grand as the place was, the outside was covered in ivy and the lawn untrimmed scaring off many buyers; and if it wasn't the appearance that scared them, the rumors that the place was haunted did, though Amu and Hiroki knew first-hand that wasn't true. So it was quite surprising to see someone finally move in after the property had been for sale for 3 years.

Then she saw him; a tall man with midnight blue hair unloading a box from the truck. _'Must be the new owner,_' Amu mused.

There was a honk from behind the car and Amu turned around to see a line of cars waiting behind Amu who realized she had suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. Cursing, the pinkette continued driving, her attention focused entirely in front of her and before she knew it, the mother and son arrived at Hiroki's school.

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><p>Amu burst through the doors of the school, Hiroki's hand clasped tightly in hers and the 2 ran to his classroom where a young woman, leaning against the door to the classroom. She had fair skin, and was in short, beautiful with her long indigo hair put up in a ponytail and warm caramel brown eyes flickering amusingly, a smile gracing her face.<p>

Amu and Hiroki stopped right in front of her, the 2 panting. "Hiro-kun. You're late." the woman stated simply.

"Nadeshiko...sorry...stupid...car...wouldn't...start." Amu panted, taking short breaths between each word. Nadeshiko raised an eyebrow, though the smile remained and the woman shook her head, "I figured, it's fine; I didn't mark Hiro-kun late."

"Thank you so much." Amu said, finally having regained her breath, smiling gratefully at her best friend who was also Hiroki's teacher. Nadeshiko's eyes narrowed in affection, before turning her attention to Hiroki who enveloped his teacher in a tight hug.

"Good morning, Auntie Nadeshiko!" the boy beamed at her, causing Nadeshiko to laugh out loud. "Good morning to you, Hiro-kun, but remember; call me Kiyomi-sensei in school otherwise you can call me whatever you like outside okay?"

Hiroki finally released his aunt/teacher from his hug before nodding. Nadeshiko smiled at him gently before opening the door to the classroom where laughter and chatter floated outside of the the room. "Now go on in and unpack and I'll be inside in a few minutes; I just want to talk to your mom, alright?"

The 5 year old nodded, giving his mom a hug one last time before entering the class room. "Have a good day at school!" Amu called out to him before Nadeshiko closed the door and resumed her former position leaning against it.

The gentle expression on Nadeshiko's face disappeared, and was replaced by a concerned one. "Everything okay?" Amu gave her best friend a puzzled look, "Yeah, everything's fine. Why?"

Nadeshiko tilted her head, her eye brows furrowing in worry, a frown on her face, "You've been late every single day so far." Amu smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, like I said the car hasn't been-"

"I was talking about in the afternoons." Nadeshiko interrupted. "You know I'm more than happy watching Hiro-kun after school so you can work but you've been picking up him later and later each day. Yesterday, was the latest; school ends at around 3:00, and you pick him up at 5, but yesterday you picked him up at 9. That's 4 hours later than you usually do."

By now, the smile had disappeared from Amu's face and a solemn one replaced it, "I know and I'm so grateful to you for that; it's just, the bills, and Hiroki's birthday coming up all at the same time. I want to have some money to buy him that toy he really wants and have a party. The total amount for both is more than I expected..." Amu admitted softly.

"You know you're more than welcome to stay at my place any time; it's pretty big and empty and I'd love it for you and Hiro-kun to move in. That way, you wouldn't have to worry about the bills and you won't have to work overtime either."

Amu smiled at her son's teacher, shaking her head at the offer. "Thanks, but I couldn't impose."

"Alright but remember, I'm here for you no matter what."

Knowing her best friend didn't want to continue the conversation, Nadeshiko dropped it, and instead smiled, "It's best if you get to work, you wouldn't want to be late for that now would you?"

Amu's eyes widened and she ran down the hallway, turning around and calling behind her, "Thanks Nadeshiko! See you later-" suddenly the pinkette bumped into something firm and fell onto the ground, holding her head in pain.

She heard a soft moan and she snapped her eyes open only to meet someone else's.

Gold irises met sapphire ones.

And they belonged to the man Amu had seen earlier; the new owner of the formerly abandoned mansion.

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><p><strong>Authoress: Sooo, what do you think? Terrible right? Oh, in here Nadeshiko and Nagihiko are <em>individuals. Repeat: They are not the same person; they are 2 different people. <em>And if you've noticed, Nadeshiko's last name isn't Fujisaki, here it's Kiyomi; why you might ask? It has something to do with the story and will be explained later on... **

**I think I might've rushed at the beginning...I'm not sure, you tell me. Oh and you've probably already realized that the 'formerly abandoned mansion's new owner' is Ikuto- and note, in this story, he is _not_ the father of Amu's son. And obviously, '_him'_ refers to the father of Hiroki, the man who left Amu. Again, that and any other questions you have will be explained later on in the story...**

**And for those of you who don't like Hiroki as Amu's son, I'm sorry, I tried not to make him as personalized as possible so people wouldn't have an issue with his personality. **

**Okay that's all, please review! I've deleted a few stories just because I didn't get that many and I hope that won't happen to this one! Alright, that's all, Ciao~!**


	2. Chapter 2: The New Music Teacher

Hello, first of all, I am sincerely sorry for the late update but I'm not going to waste your time with excuses and instead I'll cut to the chase:

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed: (5 in total: 5 more that I expected XD)

**spiderthorn; characard; BetrayedBelle; OHSHC Forever; kitty.0**

And to those who either Story Alerted/Favorited or both;

s**piderthorn; Syao Blossoms; Chasm-chan; AmutoForever; BetrayedBelle; aquris; OHSCH Forever; xNinjalicious; flyin-naruXsasu; vampiress94; pikapikaXsakura; black punk; xAmuIkuto; cherrys-and-strawberrys; xXDrEaMsXCoMeXTrUeXx; carlaivy; chivini;**

I'll finish the rest of what I have to say at the bottom, and for now, onto the story~!

Disclaimer: Last Chapter

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><p>Amu stared blankly at the man in front of her for a moment; she had seen him before. Well, not in person but in the press and such, and at the old mansion she had passed earlier. The pinkette just continued staring at him, not noticing Nadeshiko's concerned calls directed at her.<p>

Tall, a well-toned body, definitely strong but at the same time lean, all accompanied with midnight blue hair and a handsome face. But it wasn't these features that captured Amu; it was his eyes.

Gorgeous cobalt blue eyes that held a sharp, intense gaze at whatever caught their attention; which Amu currently was. Though currently, they were indifferent and almost bored, Amu couldv'e sworn she saw a flicker of interest in his mesmerizing eyes that were currently cast on her.

"Have a good look?" The man voiced in a smooth, calm manner. She jolted at the sound and instinctively backed away slightly, watching as he stood and placed a hand in front of her.

Amu blinked, before hesitatingly taking the hand, watching with slight awe as he effortlessly pulled her up to her feet before bending down to pick up some folders and papers. Amu shuffled her feet awkwardly, clearing her throat and managing a polite 'thank you' to the man.

She slightly gulped and brushed some imaginary speckles of dust and dirt off her jacket when she heard Nadeshiko's voice; "Amu! Amu!"

Silently thanking God, Amu turned to her best friend in relief, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nadeshiko asked, her voice tinted with worry and eyebrows furrowed in concern. Amu smiled slightly, "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

Nadeshiko nodded before casting her gaze at the man, who up to that point, had been watching the exchange between Amu and Nadeshiko silently, a folder filled with papers in one arm. She tilted her head slightly, caramel orbs shimmering with curiosity.

"And how about you sir, are you alright?" He didn't answer, merely nodding his head, cobalt blue eyes still cast on Amu who leaned from one foot to another uncomfortably, not daring to meet the man's gaze.

Nadeshiko's eyes flicked from Amu to the man before finally resting on a large black case behind the man.

"I'm Nadeshiko Kiyomi, the 1st grade teacher here. You must be Ikuto Tsukiyomi, the new music teacher, am I correct?"

Ikuto switched gazes from Amu to Nadeshiko, the pinkette visibly relaxing, and nodded, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you," he bowed slightly.

Nadeshiko smiled, "Likewise, Ikuto-san. This is my friend, Amu Hinamori, a mother of one of my students." The teacher gestured to the pinkette who bowed messily.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry about earlier, I wasn't looking where I was going." Amu tried sending him a warm smile that ended up being more uneasy than welcoming.

Ikuto nodded, his gaze resting on Amu again. An uncomfortable silence settled between the 3 adults. Amu didn't know why but he just wouldn't stop _staring, _and it was unsettling; she wasn't used to such intensity before. She suppressed a shiver that threatened to climb up her spine, her eyes trailing to floor again.

Nadeshiko watched Ikuto; it was obvious Amu was uncomfortable but she refused to meet the man's gaze where she would have seen the flicker of emotion that glimmered slightly in Ikuto's eyes. An emotion Nadeshiko knew that was more than just curiosity: interest. Ikuto was interested in Amu. It was easy to see why; not many Japanese people had pink hair (or blue for that matter) and along with a pair of stunning golden eyes, Amu could be seen as _exotic_ as strange as it sounded.

But it was more than just appearance. Amu was acting strangely uncomfortable, even more so than usual with strangers, as if she was almost embarrassed to be here, to be in the man's presence.

That's when it clicked; Ikuto Tsukiyomi wasn't just the average handsome music teacher. He was a world-renowned violinist with a family background full of musicians or people who dealt with the music business; his father was another talented violinist, coming from Japan himself, while Ikuto's mother was the daughter of the CEO of _Easter Corporations_, a famous business company that dealt with music and other forms of entertainment.

'Hm, so that's why she's so fidgety.' Nadeshiko mused. The teacher had known Amu since high school, and knew that Amu admired Ikuto; for his talent and skills rather than just looks and fame.

_'Sure, he's handsome but I'm more interested in the fact that he's such a good violinist; I mean have you heard him play? It's like music straight from Heaven; so passionate and emotional...'_ The pinkette had replied when Nadeshiko asked her about her fixation with Ikuto; but it wasn't admiration just as a fan. It was admiration as a fellow musician, or rather, former musician, that is.

Nadeshiko had recently heard that Ikuto was taking a hiatus from music, seemingly to have disappeared somewhere in Japan for some R and R. But in all circumstances, she would never have guessed Ikuto would find relaxation working in an elementary school, let alone one in a town as small as Kirame*.

But everyone was different. Suddenly, an idea slowly formed in her mind; a smirk settled on her lips, transforming it into a smile as soon as Ikuto looked her way.

"Ikuto-san, I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing in the left wing of the school? The music room's in the opposite building."

The new music teacher looked down and muttered something. Nadeshiko's eyes widened slightly, satisfaction hidden in her usual gentle smile while Ikuto shuffled his feet slightly in what seemed like an embarrassed though endearing way.

"Amu?" Nadeshiko started out smoothly, the slightest hints of mischief tracing her voice, "Would you mind taking Ikuto-san to the music room? I'd do it myself but I have my class to attend to after all."

Amu's eyes widened, and she bit her lip in hesitance, "But I have to get to work-"

"It's fine, I'll notify your cousins that you'll be a bit late for work."

Amu and Nadeshiko locked gazes, brown meeting golden.

Ah, there it was; that stubborn look that always shone in Nadeshiko's eyes when she put her mind to something.

Amu sighed; there was nothing she could do, not when Nadeshiko was like that; stubbornness was one of the unexpected personality quirks that the teacher shared with the pinkette, just one of the many reasons as to why the 2 were best friends.

Heaving one more sigh, Amu nodded and turned to Ikuto, who once again had his intense gaze on her. She smiled albeit a little shakily with Ikuto replying with a nod in her direction.

"Well, Tsukiyomi-san, follow me and we'll be in the music room in no time." Amu, once again smiled brightly, while in reality, her heart was pounding. Nadeshiko gave Ikuto and Amu a final smile before turning away from the 2 with a wave, a sly smile settling on her face.

Oh, this was going to be _interesting_ for _sure_.

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><p>Amusement. Intrigue. Just 2 of some of the emotions Ikuto was feeling currently as he watched Amu walk in front of him, occasionally turning right or left into a different hallway. He watched; or rather <em>observed <em>the pinkette.

A good half a head shorter than him accompanied with thulian pink hair reaching just below the shoulder blades, skin with just the slightest of tans, and golden eyes.

_Oh_, those,_ eyes._

Eyes that were as readable as a book and as transparent as glass, any emotion Amu felt shimmering in those gold irises clearly.

And it intrigued him. In all his life, Ikuto had met very few people with such honest eyes but no one, and _no one _he had ever met held such pure and honest eyes as Amu's. Most people Ikuto had met always held some kind of goal behind that fake smile they plastered on their faces, all in an attempt to get to know him better whether it was for fame or fortune; it didn't matter.

To Ikuto, they were just low, pitful liars. And he detested that. At least his grandfather had enough guts to show that he never approved of Ikuto; as a grandson and as the heir to Easter Corporations, as cruel as it was.

A bitter smile rested on his face. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Amu.

Gathering up her courage, she cleared her throat and said, "A-are you okay?"

Dang stutter. Amu's stutter was something that rarely ever happened and never took control of he life unlike some people she knew; in fact, her renowned Cool and Spicy facade would have usually taken over by now.

But in one day, the pinkette had stuttered in front of Ikuto more times than she had in one year. A fact that truly astounded her. But also embarrassed her to the point she was actually wishing for her facade to take over, something that Amu almost _never_ wished for due to the fact it either scared people off or got her unwanted admirers.

But back to the story; Ikuto blinked at Amu, his bitter smile disappearing, his face taking its usual impassive look.

A nod of his head and Amu's concern slowly went away and she continued to the music room, the two walking in silence, that unknown to both of them, had grown just a bit more comfortable.

Hm.

A rare smile settled on Ikuto's face, his eyes flickering with emotion, things that went unnoticed by Amu this time.

Intriguing indeed.

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><p>*Kirame- a purely fictional town I created for the story.<p>

And Chapter 2 is done~ And my apologies for Chapter 1; I didn't do as good of a job as I should have now that I reread it, and if the story seems to progress slowly here, don't worry, it's all part of the plan ;)

Chapter 3 should come out soon and I can tell you right now that this story will _not _have the ending you all think will have (hopefully); what I mean by that... well, you'll have to keep reading :)

Once again, thank you so much for the reviews and alerts, they really make my day and as always,

**Please review~ **(seriously please do, the more I get, the faster I work ;P as pathetic as that sounds...sorry)


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations

**WOOT~! Update! :D As always thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and story alerts etc. you have no idea how grateful I am :) Anyways, I won't bother you all with trivial matters, and let's just get on to Chapter 3 and yes, this one is an extra long chappie~**

**Disclaimer: In Chapter 1~ :3**

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><p>Honestly, Ikuto didn't know what he was thinking when he suddenly decided to take a hiatus from the music industry; it wasn't that he hated music, in fact, it was quite the opposite. After all, he had grown up in music-filled family, his father being a violinist while his mother was a singer.<p>

So, it wasn't much of a surprise that Ikuto had inherited his share of his parents' talent.

All the same, why _did_ he decide to take a break? And as an elementary school music teacher no less. Maybe he was tired of all the ogling and meaningless comments or the pressure of always being perfect or how he'd never be a suitable heir to the company his family owned.

Ah. The last reason was definitely a contender as to his sudden decision. With Ikuto's grandfather growing more and more ill, the pressure to take over the company was increasing; normally, Ikuto's father, Aruto, would take over but Ikuto's grandfather, being the stubborn _ass_ he was, refused to acknowledge him as the successor and so the responsibility had landed directly on Ikuto's shoulders.

But the more he thought he about it, the more confusing it became. Why had his grandfather refuse his dad but not Ikuto, despite the fact that it was just _oh so obvious_ that 'dear old grandpa' never liked him? The father and son practically led the same lives; living as free, detached (well, Ikuto was) violinists, playing as they wanted and traveling with the wind.

Well, truth be told, Ikuto would have loved to live that life but really, he was just the puppet of his grandfather's company, playing when told and always at some boring concert or party where people flocked around him, treating him with redundant compliments, he had heard a million times or so.

So, in hindsight, it was really obvious why Ikuto wanted a break from everything. But still, in such a _small town_? And as a _music teacher_?

Well, things could be much worse and so far, it was the complete opposite; the bluenette had met 2 interesting women, different and yet in some way, so similar. The pinkette, Amu, had definitely caught his attention but so did that 1st grade teacher (Nadeshiko was it?) though not as much.

Now, Ikuto prided himself in being a good judge of character and he could already tell that Nadeshiko harbored a secret; whether it was important or not, it was _still_ a secret. And the fact remained that her name sounded so_ familiar_. He knew he had heard before, and several times at that but why, _why_, now of all times, couldn't he remember?

No matter, he would remember later on or so and now onto Amu.

Amu.

_Amu. _

A women who had instantly attracted his attention after only meeting him, and not in the gentlest of ways either-

"Um, Tsukomi-sensei?"

Oh right, he was teaching a class right now.

Ikuto turned his attention to a little boy, with pink hair, that was oddly the same as Amu's- wait.

Backtrack.

_"...This is my friend Amu Hinamori, a mother of one of my students..." _Ikuto recalled Nadeshiko's words earlier. Hm. So Amu was a mom, eh? Did that mean she was married? Still she looked a little young to have a kid.

But now as he took a closer look at the boy, the resemblance between the 2 was uncanny; thulian pink hair and the same transparent golden eyes.

"Tsukomi-sensei?" The boy repeated, twiddling with his thumbs, anxiety clear in his eyes.

Ikuto's heart fluttered with tiniest of emotions; was it happiness? No, endearment seemed to fit better.

The boy was just _adorable; _even Ikuto had to admit that and the mispronunciation of his name made it all the more cute.

Ikuto's cobalt blue eyes flicked, and he finally regarded the nervous little boy, "Yes..."

"Hiroki. My name's Hiroki, sensei." Ikuto cleared his throat slightly. "Yes, Hiroki?"

"Um, is it okay if I p-played the- the pino, pano-" "The piano, you mean?"

Gulping, Hiroki nodded hesitantly, still twiddling with thumbs. Ikuto's lips threatened to twitch into a smile but he settled with a nod, and watched in amusement as the 5 year old's eyes widened before smiling, and dashing towards the grand piano Ikuto had moved into the rather bland room.

He continued to watch Hiroki for a moment, musing whether to help the little pinkette who struggled to get onto the piano's seat, before hearing a high-pitched shriek and turning around to see a little pig-tailed brunette release tears and hiccups over a crayon that another little boy, this one a blonde, whose lip began to quiver, eyes wide with guilt, had apparently stepped on.

Ikuto sighed and ran a hand through his midnight blue locks, and strolled over to the 2 kids, soothing the little girl, whose cries only intensified and the little boy who remained quiet but looked as if he was about to burst into tears.

Another sentiment to add to his list of reasons why he had chosen to become a teach-

Suddenly, sweet music began pouring through out the room, effectively silencing the little girl and little boy who both watched in awe, as well as interrupt Ikuto's thoughts.

But who was causing the music-

Hiroki.

Ikuto watched, eyes slightly wide with amazement, as Hiroki's small fingers smoothly ran across the black and white keys, emanating a flawed though sweet sound.

Though it was only a simple song, one Ikuto identified as _Silent Night_, it was played beautifully, with hardly any mistakes at all and it soothed everyone in the room. The piano continued to spell notes in the air, each one casting a serene effect on everyone until the beat began to gradually slow down.

A few minutes passed before Hiroki finished the song with a high C note, the song's calming effects lingering around the room.

Silence.

Then, the little pinkette's classmates flocked around him clapping and cheering, eyes filled with awe and amazement. Everyone but Ikuto, who stayed behind and watched the entire scene before him, still not able to process what had just happened.

Hiroki could play piano. And he was _amazing_ at it. In a few years or so, the little boy would be able to play the hardest of pieces with ease, Ikuto realized.

Then, questions began to bombard Ikuto's mind; _Where did he learn? When did he learn? Has he always been able to play like this? Who taught him? Can Amu play like this?_

The last question took him by surprise; it was a well-known fact that if you were talented at music, you usually had a parent or ancestor who also shared the same talent and passed it down to later generations.

But still, _could_ Amu play? Did she have a parent, grandparent, or just _anyone_ in her family who was talented in music? Or did it come from the father, Ikuto had yet to meet?

Cobalt blue eyes regarded the happy little boy who, a moment ago was playing such sweet music, and was now being fawned over by his classmates.

One thing was for sure though; Ikuto's interest in Amu- scratch that, _everyone_ in the Hinamori family, just grew ten-fold.

And he was going to find out just what made this family so _fascinating_.

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><p>Amu sighed, running one hand through her silky pink locks, the other resting on her hip. It was 6:43 in the afternoon now. She had to pick up Hiroki soon.<p>

And it was to her luck (and relief) that only a few customers remained in the bakery she worked in, that also happened to be owned by Amu's cousins, Eriko and Shuu Hinamori, a happy but constantly bantering couple.

Another half an hour passed before finally, the bakery closed and Amu sat in a chair, heaving a sigh; today had certainly been a whirlwind.

The pinkette closed her eyes, and thought over all the events that had happened today; almost being late for school and work, meeting the famous but mysterious violinist, Ikuto Tsukiyomi, that also happened to be her son's music teacher, and stressing over the bills.

All in all, a normal day, well besides, meeting Ikuto that was. Amu sighed once more before opening her eyes to meet a pair of forest green eyes bubbling with mischief. Startled by the sudden close proximity, Amu jerked her chair backwards, almost tipping over in the process.

A giggle. Amu's heartbeat slowed down and she glared slightly at her pretty red-headed cousin, who looked at Amu innocently.

"Eriko." She said curtly. "Amu." The red-head replied in mock seriousness.

Amu closed her eyes and sighed; just how many times had she done that today?

"What is it?"

Eriko wet her lips before smiling slyly and taking the seat in front of Amu.

"So..." The red-head drawled. Amu raised an eyebrow at this, silently prodding for her cousin to continue.

"Nadeshiko told me that you two met someone today."

Amu frowned and furrowed her eyebrows in question.

"Someone who happens to be a certain violinist you obsess about and was also quite dashing as Nadeshiko says."

Oh. Right. Ikuto.

"Yeah, Ikuto Tsukiyomi- wait, obsess about?" Amu raised her voice slightly at the end, her glare intensifying that had little to no effect on her cousin who yawned mockingly.

"I do not obsess about him."

"Mhm." The simple yet obviously unbelieving tone in her cousin's voice made Amu flush in embarrassment.

"Seriously! I don't obsess about him!" Eriko responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Then how do you explain that mountain of CDs of his music you have in your closet?"

"First of all, it's not a moun- Wait, how do you even know about that?"

A gentle smile graced Eriko's lips and her green eyes narrowed in affection at her cousin who continued to flush and stutter in denial.

Then Amu froze. She stopped stuttering and the flush that had begun to creep up her neck disappeared as she snapped her attention towards a traditional black clock that hung above the register.

Crap. It was already 7:38. Muttering a quick 'bye' to Eriko and Shuu, Amu ripped off her apron, grabbed her jacket and wallet, and bolted out the glass door.

Eriko watched her cousin throw all of her things into that ugly old Sedan that parked in front of the bakery, a car that Eriko had always despised, and get inside, and with a screech of the tires, began to speed towards Nadeshiko's house.

She blinked; Amu could really be too selfless for her own good. A soft clink interrupted the red-head's reverie and she grunted softly in surprise, looking up to meet her husband's warm dark eyes. A cup of coffee was placed in front of her and Eriko smiled, using one hand to sift through Shuu's brown hair before placing a kiss on his cheek.

She sipped the coffee gratefully, though her feelings remained; when Nadeshiko had called saying Amu would possibly be late and that she had met that violinist she always went on and on about, Eriko became excited for her cousin. This could be chance for Amu to finally unravel a bit and learn to trust others, something which the pinkette had trouble doing ever since... the _incident_ years ago.

Amu had changed after that; she became more serious and responsible, something which greatly contrasted her former personality. While most considered it a good thing, Eriko grew worried.

Worried that her dear cousin would never trust again.

Or love for that matter.

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><p>Amu pulled into the driveway of Nadeshiko's grand estate, the sky already turning hues of pink and purple. She exited the car, not even bothering to close the door or to take the key out, and stumbled up the stairs, to the main entrance, all while patting down her hair that and doing things to make herself presentable.<p>

But, it was all for naught; Nadeshiko was already leaning against the glass door of her huge mansion, arms crossed, caramel brown eyes watching Amu, in what seemed to be, indifference, which was something completely out of character for someone like Nadeshiko. If it had been their friend, Utau, it would be understandable; after all, the singer was an enigma, indifferent one moment and furious the next, as a result of the woman's reliable temper.

But that would be a topic for later; Amu stood in front of Nadeshiko, eyes cast down, hands wrung together nervously. After what seemed like an eternity spent in a suffocating silence, Amu gulped and met Nadeshiko's hard eyes.

"Nadeshiko, I know-"

"Inside, now. We need to talk." Amu winced at the grim tone in her best friend's voice, and followed her inside, unable to stop her stomach flip in anxiety repeatedly.

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><p>The pinkette watched steam rise from her china cup in an almost ghostly fashion, the only sound being made coming from a grandfather clock that hung slightly below the balcony of the 2nd floor, attached to a grand staircase. She couldn't (more like didn't) want to meet Nadeshiko's eyes that now swirled with a myriad of emotions: concern, disappointment, and possibly even... anger?<p>

Amu really didn't want to find out, it was already hard enough to deal with the pile of bills and expenses that rested on Amu's desk in her room and seemed to grow bigger and bigger with each passing week; she didn't have the time nor energy to deal with Nadeshiko's lectures.

And so, the pinkette cast her eyes on her best friend in a wary manner, watching as the teacher concentrated, legs crossed, eyes closed, and lips set in a thin line, all while pinching the bridge of her nose. All in all, a very elegant pose, Amu had to admit.

It did help that Nadeshiko descended from nobility; her family could be tracked down all the way to the Heian period. But to do so while Nadeshiko was-... in her current state would be considered disgraceful; not that it would matter, Amu's best friend was already disgraced enough as it is.

"Amu."

Amu bristled, jolted out of her thoughts by the very same woman she was mulling about. The pinkette's eyes met with Nadeshiko's and the only thing Amu could see now in those brown orbs was tranquility.

A tranquility that terrified Amu.

"Hiroki."

"I know, I'm trying-"

And just like that, Nadeshiko eyes bubbled with anger, "No, enough with the 'I know's, because it's just the opposite; **You don't know**. You don't know how much Hiroki is affected by all of this, how much he's suffering from the lack of attention from his _own_ mother, how much he's worried about you-"

"Excuse me?" Now, Amu's own eyes were stirring with fury, her voice laced with ice, "Are you trying to say that I'm an unfit mother?"

Nadeshiko's eyes narrowed, "No, I'm saying that Hiroki needs more attention from you, not that you're an unfit mother-"

"Really? Because it sounds pretty much like the same thing. 'Needs more attention' You know you're sounding exactly like those women who used to judge us; me for being such a young mother and you for-"

"Don't," Nadeshiko hissed, "Don't you dare go there, Amu. All I'm trying to say is that Hiroki is lonely and-"

"_Lonely?_" Cried Amu in disbelief, "Hiroki's lonely? And you would know that because-"

"Because it's obvious," Stated Nadeshiko firmly.

"_Obvious? _Isn't it because you're perfect?" Amu scoffed. "Hi, I'm Nadeshiko and I'm the prettiest, most perfect lady around. I have the most perfect life and the most perfect career- wait, that's right, I _had_ the most perfect career, but now, I'm stuck as a teacher in some quaint little town because I gave up on my dream so easily after one little-"

_"Amu!" _Nadeshiko shrieked, hands balled up in fury, usually calm eyes swimming in rage. The 2 women now stood, facing each other with a fierce glare and even fiercer words.

"But isn't it true? The reason why you're stuck in this town is because you gave up on your dream?" Amu sneered. "All because of one little injury-"

"Gave up?_ Gave up_?" Nadeshiko's voice continued rising in rage, matching decibels that could make someone's ear bleed. "I didn't give up; I had no choice. You know that, or rather, you wouldn't know that because you _had _a choice."

"Oh, you could never be more wrong, Nadeshiko. I didn't have a choice-"

"Of course, you had a choice. You _always_ had a choice, Amu. You were always just too blind to see it!" Nadeshiko slammed her hands on the coffee table where a china set shook violently, Amu's cup of tea spilling some of its contents, not that either woman cared; they were too mad to even notice.

"So getting pregnant was a _choice_?"

"Getting pregnant may not have been a choice," growled Nadeshiko, "but screwing with the _man who happened to be my fiance _and got you pregnant was!"

Silence.

Amu opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish, all traces of anger that shone in her eyes gone; now replaced with bitterness, pain and guilt. Nadeshiko's hands still stung from slamming them hard on the table but they now rested at her sides, the teacher panting and flushing from the furious exchange of words that had happened just moments before.

Amu let out a shaky breath, "Nadeshiko, I-"

"Oooh, cat fight!" a voice remarked cheerfully, effectively interrupting what Amu was about to say. The 2 women spun around to see 2 people; a grinning redhead and a seemingly apathetic blonde at the entrance of Nadeshiko's home.

Amu's eyes widened, "Kukai! Utau!"

The grin on Kukai's face grew and with a wink, the redhead said in a blithe tone,

"What's up?"

* * *

><p><strong>Gotta love Kukai~ And anyways, whoa, chapter 3 and there's already an argument; hopefully you managed to pick the little hints I included in that spat such as: *gasp* Hiroki's father was Nadeshiko's fiance! :O and Nadeshiko was forced to give up her dream? Ooooh, is this getting good or what? (yeah no)<strong>

**As for Amu and Nadeshiko's behavior during the fight, first of all I don't really consider them to be OOC because I know that Amu can get mad during a fight and as for Nadeshiko, I wanna set her apart from her brother a bit; meaning to say even though they're twins, they don't have to be _exactly_ alike and it's little personality quirks like Nadeshiko's hidden sharp tongue and temper that'll do so.**

**But if you do find them OOC, I apologize and just tell me so I can do better in the future; I'm trying my best to make sure they're all not OOC since I absolutely _despise_ that.**

**Hmm, I'm also concerned that I'm going too fast with the story line; after all, it's only chapter 3 and there's already 4 new characters. Just tell me if I am~.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, feel free to point out mistakes and give me advice to better my writing and as always, please review~! Let's try and make it past 5 reviews this time, OK? ;)**

**Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets

Heyy~ Sorry once again for the late update, but school's been keeping me as busy as a congested post office :/

Also, I'm quite irritated since I was hit in the head by a basketball "accidentally" by a girl who I loathe oh _so much _and I've been having headaches ever since and now, after consulting a doctor, it is confirmed that I have a concussion. Fun.

Sorry for the rant, just needed to get that out and now onto to the chapter:

**Warning:** Some coarse language; innuendos

Disclaimer: In chapter 1

* * *

><p><em>Clink.<em>

Utau set her cup down, crossing her legs as she did so. Cool amethyst eyes landed on Amu before traveling to Nadeshiko, the blonde taking in as much as she could of the rather. . . tense situation.

The 1st grade teacher sat at the very end of the couch opposite of the one Utau and Kukai sat on, as far as possible from Amu who did the same thing except at the other end, the 2 eagerly avoiding each one's gaze. And each other for that matter.

Truth be told, Utau had first found the situation amusing at first; after all, to find her best friends, two of the calmest people she knew in a rather heated (and useless) argument, who wouldn't have found it funny. . . actually, the average person wouldn't have found it funny at all but then again, she wasn't the average person. But the amusement she felt quickly died away as soon as Amu had brought up Nadeshiko's injury; a rather touchy subject in which anyone who knew about it was smart enough not to bring it up so not to stir Nadeshiko's hidden ire and bitterness.

And now, the aftermath of it all, wasn't funny at all; not in the least bit. A good number of the staff that consisted of the maids and other hired help were terrified, trying their best to avoid Nadeshiko and Amu but when they had to speak to the 2 women, they did so with a fearful and cautious disposition; the maid who had let Utau and Kukai in, was trembling as she opened the door, and with a quick bow and murmur to the formerly-arguing women about their arrival, she hastened for the kitchen where many of the frightened staff could be found.

Another result of the argument was the tensity between Amu and Nadeshiko; each had their pride to defend in the fight and for good reason, as they two took turns sending cruel remarks about the dark pasts both shared; another thing the two had in common.

Still, the singer thought it was pointless; things were just like they had been in the past, where the pinkette and blunette would fight all the time about mistakes the two had committed which also happened to intertwine their messy pasts. Another thing the singer was concerned about: Hiroki.

Amu's son lay in one of the spare rooms resting, but the blonde knew without a doubt that the little pinkette had heard everything that taken place and was too scared to come and down and greet her and Kukai, something which he always did without fail; and the fact that the 5 year old didn't want to come down and do so meant this argument was serious.

_Very serious. _

Utau sighed. It was sticky situation; a situation where further involvement would only make things worse, so to speaking, that Amu and Nadeshiko had to resolve this themselves-

Then, a snicker.

_His_ snicker to be exact. Utau turned her head sharply, eyes narrowing, to the soccer star who sat beside her, emerald green eyes shimmering with amusement that irritated the singer to absolutely no end. But an amused shimmer that also made butterflies flutter endlessly in her stomach; a feeling only the redhead could make her feel.

It was that thought that made the singer realize why they were in Kirame in the first place; still, the idiot could be so bold at times. Having the gall to be amused after a fight that caused his godson to be too terrified to greet him was just _bizarre_.

And downright stupid.

"Well, don't we have a serious situation right here?" The redhead remarked, that stupid grin still plastered on his face as a last defense to keep from bursting into laughter.

And pointing out the _oh so_ obvious was another reason why Utau wanted to punch the soccer star in the face. Only one person could make her want to do that but also want to kiss them senseless; and that was Kukai Souma.

In her mental rant, the blonde almost failed to notice the amused air that lingered around the redhead disappear, now replaced with serious one.

"Still, you guys shouldn't be fighting over something as pointless as this; you already have, too many times in the past when Amu was pregnant, and things turned out bad enough then because of it. Now that Hiroki is actually alive and kicking and out of Amu's stomach, imagine how bad things'll be if you keep this up." The grin on Kukai's face was gone, now having formed into a solemn thin line, eyes absolutely void of any amusement whatsoever.

The redhead's sudden switch of emotions always surprised Utau to no end. At times, it even scared her. The thought of the one person in her life that should always be seen smiling and laughing, actually frowning, eyebrows furrowed in serious concentration, was terrifying. So Utau always tried her best to keep that idiotic smile she loved on; even if she didn't show it at times.

Silence reigned once again, staying that way until Nadeshiko cleared her throat bringing everyone's attention to the teacher.

Wetting her lips, Nadeshiko spoke, "So. . . what are you two doing here anyways?"

Utau raised an eyebrow, "Why? Not happy that were here?"

This time, Amu spoke, albeit having jumped up at the remark, "No! It's not that, it just I- we thought you two were on tour-"

"And we are." Utau cut in smoothly. This time, Kukai did laugh as Nadeshiko's and Amu's faces formed confused expressions, his peals of laughter increasing as he saw Utau turn to him, a pale red hue splashed across her cheeks, her amethyst eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"We're on tour; albeit unofficially," after seeing Nadeshiko's and Amu's face continue to grow in confusion, Utau bit her lip before continuing, "We're still on tour, but we decided to take a couple months off here; we even arranged for a benefit concert in the park."

Utau fidgeted, using one hand to run through her blonde locks and it was _then_, Nadeshiko realized the real reason for the sudden visit; and it was all thanks to the 2 carat diamond ring that shone proudly on the singer's finger, in the sun's last daily rays.

A grin split the teacher's face. "No- are you-?" A hesitant nod from Utau and proud grin from Kukai was enough confirmation for Nadeshiko to jump up and tackle the singer in a hug.

"Congratulations!" squealed the teacher excitedly, the first signs of happiness obvious in her tone.

Utau, whose face was now splashed with all sorts of interesting shades of red, hugged Nadeshiko back, somewhat awkwardly, trying as much as possible to bury her face in the teacher's silky long hair.

Kukai laughed again, rubbing the back of head in a sheepish fashion. Amu's eyebrows furrowed, Nadeshiko's sudden attack further confusing the pinkette.

In an act of frustration, Amu stamped her foot, "I don't understand! What's going on!"

Nadeshiko released Utau from her suffocating embrace, the blonde's face flushed even as she tried to regain composure. Hand placed firmly on one hip, the blonde thrust her hand out, the ring clearly visible under the domiciliary lights; gold eyes focused on the shining ring then looked up at Utau, the confusion never leaving the pinkette's eyes.

Utau rolled her eyes. "I'm _engaged_ Amu." The pinkette's eyebrows furrowed even further, a frown making itself present on her face, "Engaged in _what_?" This time, Kukai rolled his eyes though he failed to suppress an affectionate smile; Amu was always so dense. . . in an endearing way, of course.

"No in _what_, but to _who_-"

"Fine, then who are you engaged to-"

"Damn it, would you let me finish Amu!"

"Sorry," mumbled the pinkette. Utau closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling in a slow, gradual fashion; she could feel it: her temper spike repeatedly, irritation buzzing beneath her skin, as she tried to subdue the urge to yell or hit something, _anything_ to try and release the growing frustration the singer held for Amu.

With one final sigh, Utau opened her eyes revealing in them, a new emotion; a hard determination combined with mix of controlled excitement and anxiety.

"I'm engaged to be married." Said the singer in a low though soft tone; one unfitting the expression that currently flickered in Utau's amethyst eyes.

A smile broke upon Amu's face. "That's wonderful-!" However, it disappeared as soon as her gaze landed on a grinning Kukai. Aware of the sudden confusion in both Utau and Nadeshiko, Amu forced the smile back on.

"That's great. So who's your fiance?" The casual tone in the pinkette's voice baffled Utau even more.

"Who do you think?"

"Um. . . that cute singer you sang a duet with?"

"Wait, what-"

"What was his name again?" Amu put a thoughtful finger to her cheek, and looked up, "Iwao Hisoka? He's a good singer; not to mention, that reserved face he puts on is actually pretty attractive."

Utau stared at Amu, mouth agape ever so slightly, and eyes wide with disbelief; she knew that the pinkette was dense but she never had imagined it would be to this degree. Nadeshiko's expression resembled the singer's while the presently silent soccer star blinked in confusion.

"Amu, I'm engaged to be married to-"

"Iwao Hisoka, right? No, not him, he's not really your taste," murmured Amu in deep thought, "how about that actor, Kanade Misako? He's hot."

And just like that, irritation coursed through Utau making her clench and unclench her fist repeatedly.

"Amu."

"Hmm?"

"Who have I been dating for the past 10 years?"

". . . Kukai. . ."

"So _why_ on Earth would you think I'd be engaged to some arrogant bastard like Kanade Misako, hm?"

"I, well- you two fight a lot. . . and I never actually believed Kukai would have the guts to pop the question. . ." stammered Amu.

In response, Utau raised an eyebrow, not very surprised at the pinkette's answer; the singer herself had actually thought the same thing after Kukai's and her 7th anniversary as a couple. As bold as the soccer star was, even he could lack the balls (oh, how _ironic_) to ask the question so many men did each day.

Another valid point Amu had brought out were the arguments she and Kukai went through on a weekly basis; the most recent and potentially serious (again; the _irony_) was when the two had somehow gotten into the topic of why it was the men that had to do the proposing:

"I just don't understand why women can't be the ones to pop the question," the singer had snapped at the time, "I mean, we're the ones who wait for it our entire lives. We have more than enough guts to ask a simple question so we can stand at the altar in that white dress and get that kiss and that amazing night in bed-"

"But that's just it! After a lifetime of waiting, if women did the proposing, then wouldn't they all just rush into a bar or something and ask some random guy to marry them? Women rush into relationships too often-!" Kukai had adamantly replied.

"_Excuse me?" _By that point, Utau's voice had risen into a shriek, amethysts eyes hard as the jewel they resembled, anger coursing freely throughout her body, spiking each time a word came out of the redhead's mouth.

Needless to say, Kukai found himself dodging a vase targeted for his head but by the end of the night, he had his arms wrapped around a stunned Utau after the redhead had blurted out a rather messy proposal (the idiot even forgot to kneel).

But back to the subject on hand.

Amu tilted her head, biting her lip hesitantly, "So. . . you're engaged to be married. . . to Kukai. . .?"

Utau rolled her eyes but with an almost begrudging smile, she replied in an exasperated tone, "Yes, Amu. I'm going to marry Kukai in about 8 months-"

The singer was cut off by a quick, tight embrace and Amu gushing excitingly into her ear. "Oh my goodness, that's wonderful!"

Blonde eyebrows shot up in surprise but with a smile, Utau returned the pinkette's embrace. Kukai smiled softly at the sight; he had known all 3 women since middle school but with Amu, he formed a bond similar to that of a sister and a brother-

An embrace cut the redhead out of his reverie and he looked down to see a head of indigo locks burying itself into his chest; with nothing more than a blink and a burst of laughter, Kukai returned Nadeshiko's hug, playfully ruffling the teacher's hair, bringing out a complaint. Within a few minutes, the group of 4 sat down, eagerly discussing the wedding details.

Forest green eyes glanced at the blonde whom he was seated next to, seemingly apathetic but Kukai knew that the singer was trying to refrain a smile from blossoming upon her beautiful face. Across from him, Amu had the brightest smile on her face, gold eyes sparkling with pure joy while Nadeshiko had a similar expression though hers was more reserved, but none the less still obvious.

A grin made itself present across Kukai's face.

Ah, life was good for the soccer star.

* * *

><p>Amu was happy. One of her best friends was getting married to the man she considered as a brother, and her son's birthday was coming up. It was a good day. . . or well it would've been had it not been for the little spat she and Nadeshiko had. The smile she wore faded slightly, eyes cast down on Hiroki who lay sleeping on the bed. Taking a seat beside her son, she brushed his bangs away gently, only to have them fall back into its original position.<p>

He shifted slightly, burrowing himself under the bed's blanket, and letting out a sigh of content. Gold eyes trailed over the boy's small figure under the blanket, rising up and down like a foreign landscape of hills. Amu let her hand stroke the smooth skin of her son's face, absorbing the warmth that came from it.

How she envied the 5 year old at times; Hiroki always had a smile on his face, never aware of the stress that was slowly building on Amu's shoulders, a weight that the pinkette was all to familiar with.

A knock had Amu spinning towards the door, only to have the pinkette raise her eyebrows in surprise at her visitor. Nadeshiko stood by the mahogany door, arms crossed with a tired expression on the teacher's usually radiant face.

"You're welcome to stay the night if you like; it's too late to drive back home anyways. . ."

Amu smiled gratefully, "Thank you." Nadeshiko nodded, her caramel brown eyes looking every where but at Amu.

Amu wet her lips, opening her mouth to say something only to have silence float out.

"If that's it, then I'll let you and Hiroki rest. Goodnight." With a final nod, Nadeshiko turned and began to walk out of the room when a sudden burst of determination had Amu jump to her feet.

"Nadeshiko!" she called, gathering the bluenette's attention at once, "I- um. . ." but of course, that burst of determination had gone, leaving a panicky and anxious feeling in Amu.

Finally, after seconds of incoherent mumbling, Amu shook her head and sighed. She looked up at the teacher whose eyes were focused on the pinkette.

"Goodnight. . ." Nadeshiko nodded and turned away from the pinkette, walking down the hallway and turning into a different wing of the building.

A deep, regretful feeling landed itself in Amu's stomach and with sagged shoulders, she walked into her room, closing the door behind her softly.

She stood, leaning against the door before sinking to the ground, the pinkette trying to refrain a sob from coming out of her throat. Instead, Amu ran a hand through her hair, taking deep breaths.

What she said at the fight earlier, it wasn't the first time Amu had gone so far as to bring up Nadeshiko's injury to add incentive to fire that already fueled the two omen's fury; but Amu had hoped it would be the last. Just like the all the times before.

What Kukai had said, that if things reverted to the way they were when Amu had been pregnant, well, the results would be anything but good. For Amu and her son. Still, Amu knew she had a right to defend herself as a mother; but so did Nadeshiko as a godmother and aunt. Especially since the teacher's fiance(_ex_-fiance now) was the father of Amu's child. The pinkette knew how lucky she was to have earned Nadeshiko's forgiveness, even after what she had done; but the incident had put a strain on their relationship in the months to come. But it had also brought them closer together.

Amu had regretted hurting Nadeshiko but she would never regret having Hiroki; the birth of her son gave Amu incentive to try hard and to this day it amazed her that this gorgeous, sweet, little boy was hers to claim, hers to be proud of. It was hard, but it was worth it; even if had meant giving up much of the things she cared about. Including her family and career.

Still, in having Hiroki, it changed her relationship with Nadeshiko forever; the two would be forever involved in each other's lives, in a way that both had never imagined.

But. . .

_Was it worth it? _

Seeing that world of hurt explode in Nadeshiko's eyes as Amu told her the truth, it broke the pinkette's heart. Amu had known it was wrong; wrong to be inlove with the man that Nadeshiko would've ended up marrying. But it had been _oh so tempting_; the bittersweet realization that she would never be with _him_ but the chance to be part of a fatally dangerous but passionate love had lured Amu. Lured her right into a trap of unimaginable pain. She cared for Nadeshiko; after all, the teacher had always been there for the pinkette without fail and same would go for Amu with Nadeshiko. Except this time.

Amu had chosen love over friendship. A love that turned out to be as artificial as the hair on one of the customers that Amu served at work. A love that only left Amu in pieces. A love that damaged her relationships with the most important people in her life.

She blamed herself wholly for it; her naivety was her downfall. That and her ignorance. She wasn't like Utau who was strong and stayed strong despite all circumstances. Or like Nadeshiko with her hidden temper and tongue and her quiet endurance.

Unlike them, Amu was naïve, gullible, and just plain _weak_.

So changed; she toughened up, became responsible, and swore that no matter what, her family and friends would come first and foremost above herself and her wants.

Even if it meant never being able to experience true love.

* * *

><p>The next morning hadn't turned out that well for Amu again. She and Nadeshiko barely spoke a word to each other even though they had carpooled together to their respective workplaces.<p>

She didn't like the way things were turning out to be. She wanted- no, _needed_, to fix them. Her relationship with the 1st grade teacher depended on it. Moreover, Amu depended on it.

Unbeknownst to the pinkette, Nadeshiko was having similar thoughts. Just like the single mother, the teacher yearned to fix the way things were but her damn pride wouldn't allow it. Unlike her twin brother, who was easy going and forgiving, Nadeshiko was too proud and tended to hold grudges even though the two were twins and had been told more than once that they were carbon copies of each other.

Carbon copies. _Ha._

People just didn't know her and her twin brother well enough to differentiate them. Including their own parents.

In another part of the school, Ikuto Tsukiyomi tapped his foot impatiently. Even though it was Friday when the special was gym, and music classes were usually Thursday, the gym teacher was absent due to a cold (pathetic, Ikuto thought; he had plenty of colds during his performances and he always powered through it. The fact that a _gym_ teacher, couldn't do so, was as aforementioned, pathetic.)

Even so, it had given Ikuto the chance to ask 1st grade teacher, Nadeshiko, as he had earlier confirmed, to bring in her class so he could teach them again. The woman had raised an eyebrow and in a suspicious tone asked why, as both knew that Ikuto's first day with the class of 5-6 year olds hadn't entirely gone well since he had to go down to the nurse's office for an ice pack after a boy had thrown a music book that oddly hit Ikuto right in the head.

"They're interesting." The bluenette had told the teacher with a shrug. In reality, Hiroki was the only interesting kid in the class as well as the only one who showed some talent in music. Unlike the group of girls that belted out a note from 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' (Ikuto could've sworn he lost hearing in his left ear temporarily).

Still, it would give him the chance he needed to get know more about Hiroki. And hopefully Amu.

Even now, as the violinist watched the little pinkette play 'Mary had a Little Lamb' he knew that there was something about this family, something that stood out. Something which Hiroki was clueless about and something that Amu wanted to keep a secret.

Ah.

Cobalt blue eyes watched the little boy, whose face was adorned with a sweet smile and glittering eyes of happiness. Ikuto could almost see Amu smiling like that, if anything, he wanted to.

Which baffled him.

Furthermore, he wanted to be the _cause _of Amu smiling like that.

With a set mind, the music teacher shrugged it off. He would find out sooner or later why it confused him; but as for now, he needed to talk to Amu.

A faint ringing sent the kids lining up, and in seconds, Nadeshiko arrived at the door, praising them. Hiroki slid off the too-tall piano seat, rushing towards the boys' line when Ikuto pulled him aside with nothing but a nod to his teacher who returned it with a smile.

The boy looked at Ikuto, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. Ikuto kneeled down, facing the little pinkette.

"Hiroki, does your mother pick you up herself at the end of the day?"

The boy shifted his feet slightly, replying, "Sometimes. Most of the time, I go with Kiyomi-sensei to her home and then my mommy picks me up."

Ikuto nodded, making sure to remember this piece of info. "Well, if your mother does pick you at school today, could you tell her to meet me here? I just want to talk to her."

Tilting his head, curiosity still obvious in his gold eyes, Hiroki nodded vigorously before Nadeshiko called him into the line.

Good.

Ikuto was now one step closer to uncovering the Hinamori family's hidden talent. . . as well as any other secrets they had.

* * *

><p>As luck would have it, Amu did turn out to be picking up Hiroki today, only because Eriko had insisted that they would be fine without her, and because she was still carpooling with Nadeshiko.<p>

Mentally berating herself for the conversation the pinkette had with Utau just minutes earlier, Amu walked up the steps of her son's school, mind still lingering on bits of their conversation.

"_Hey, I'm picking up Nadeshiko and Hiroki right now, then I'll be back there to drop her off. While I'm at it, I'll pick up my clothes from last night. Would you mind preparing it?" The pinkette had voiced into her clam shell phone. _

"_Mm, no, it's fine. By the way, you forgot your wallet here." _

_Utter embarrassment filled Amu, coloring her cheeks red, "Shoot! I knew I forgot something!'_

"_Mm, you've been driving around all day illegally. You're a good role model for your son, you know that?" The singer's voice dripped with sarcasm, further humiliating the pinkette._

"_Oh shut up." she muttered. _

"_Hm. I'm going out for some errands, I'll drop off your clothes and your wallet at Hiroki's school, since I'll be passing by there anyways. I'll drive Nadeshiko back home too, "_

_Amu's eyebrows dipped in concern, "You don't have to that, it'll be too much of a hassle-"_

"_Amu, it'll be too much of a hassle for you to drive back here to pick up a wallet and some clothes then drive back home. Besides, things are still tense between you and Nadeshiko right?"_

_When the pinkette didn't reply, Utau smiled in satisfaction. _

"_Thought so. Anyways, I'll meet you at the school."_

_With a sigh, Amu agreed. "Alright fine. Thanks." _

Amu sighed, still upset that she had forgot her wallet; she wasn't usually so careless. She turned into a different hall, walked by some rooms when finally she arrived at her son's classroom which now remained empty save for Nadeshiko and Hiroki who was packing up.

"Mommy!" Hiroki rushed to his mother, tackling her in an embrace. With a smile, Amu ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Hey you. How was school?"

"Mm, good. Tsukomi-sensei wanted me to tell you he wants to talk to you though."

Amu blinked in surprise, "He did?" A nod from her son confirmed it.

"Oh. Um, ok, in the music room then?" Another nod from the little pinkette. Amu looked up at Nadeshiko who nodded and said, "You can go, we'll wait for you here."

Amu nodded her thanks and with one last quick hug for her son, she jogged to the right wing of the school, and entered the music room where Ikuto leaned against the piano, reading through a small stack of papers.

She cleared her throat, instantly capturing the bluenette's attention.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Ikuto nodded, "It's about Hiroki."

Amu's forehead creased with worry, "He's not in trouble, is he?"

"No, he's not in trouble but I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Relief flitted across Amu's features. "Oh, alright then. Go ahead."

"Today and yesterday, Hiroki played the piano," Ikuto began, watching for any change of expression in Amu's face, "He played very well. He possesses much potential and talent. . ."

There it was; that fleeting moment of shock and panic staining her otherwise perfect facade.

"O-oh, I see."

Cobalt blue eyes flickered with interest. "Has he had any lessons?"

Amu shook her head. Ikuto narrowed his eyes, "Hinamori-san-"

"Amu. You can call me Amu."

"Amu, is there a chance that Hiroki might've inherited this? He possesses talent that I have seen in very few people. . ."

_'People like you maybe?'_ Ikuto silently mused.

Amu opened her mouth, then closed it, wetting her lips before taking a deep breath.

"Well-"

"Excuse me," An all too familiar voice cut her off. Ikuto and Amu turned their attention towards the door way where a certain blonde stood.

Her eyes widened, and with a shocked tone, she said,

"Ikuto?"

"Utau?"

* * *

><p>Hm, turned out longer than I expected but oh well~ Hope you all liked this chapter;<p>

Special thanks to those who reviewed and Favorited, etc:

**Isatel- **Thank you for asking first and yes, you may borrow my title :)

**Letasiful; XxChopSueyxX; Cookie-chan91; PrincessLover26; Asapados4441; kitty.0; sanjana tsukiyomi black; **

**IkutoT'sGirl; emina15; lil snow neko; SoujaGurl; Rxroulette; blushing bookwork**

Mm, that's it, sorry for any mistakes and if the characters seemed OOC.

Please, _please_ review; it would absolutely make my day especially since I haven't a good one so far. . .

So maybe 7+ reviews, pretty please? Thanks~

Ciao :3


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